Natural England

Rare flowers, insects, birds and animals found only in the North East could be lost forever if nothing is done to save their unique habitats which have taken thousands of years to establish.

And on World Biodiversity Day – Tuesday May 22 – environmental experts were highlighting the huge variety of wildlife in the region and what needs to be done to counteract the effects of climate change on the places these rare species survive.

Landscapes such as the stretches of wild and windswept dunes that line the Northumberland coast, the boggy heather-clad moorland of the North Pennines and the Cheviots, and the meandering banks of the Coquet, Till and Tweed could all change dramatically in years to come.

Adrian Hilton, the region’s climate change co-ordinator, said: “There’s no doubt about it: climate change due to human activity is now generally accepted as fact, and with it comes the increased risks of flooding in coastal areas and wild fires on the moorlands of Northumberland and Durham. The action we take today will have a vital role to play in helping wildlife adapt to climate change.”

The 40-strong membership of the North East Biodiversity Forum – which includes representatives from organisations such as Natural England, Durham and Northumberland Wildlife Trusts, the Forestry Commission, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Country and Business Landowners Association – are looking at practical ways to preserve the delicate balance of biodiversity in the region.

Richard Hall [Planning & Advocacy Specialist] of Natural England said: “With any change to habitat, some species will benefit and increase in numbers and some will suffer and decline. But to ensure our region is able to sustain the enormously rich diversity of wildlife we have all around us in the decades to come, we must take positive, practical action now.”

Several projects are now underway in the region aimed at counteracting the possible effects of climate change such as the drying out of peatlands and coastal flooding due to rising sea levels.

Northumberland4shores is an Environment Agency project which works with farmers, communities and other organisations to manage coastal habitats for both wildlife and people. By removing certain flood defences in Alnmouth and Beal, more than 200 hectares of new habitats will be created, including saltmarsh, coastal grazing marsh and reedbeds – all vital to the survival of rare waders such as the roseate tern.

Peatscapes aims to conserve and enhance the internationally important peatlands in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which contains 27 per cent of the country’s entire peatland resource and supports extremely rare species such as the yellow marsh saxifrage and the large heath butterfly. The peatland habitat is being restored by blocking drainage ditches with manually built peat dams.

Issued on behalf of the North East Biodiversity Forum by Government News Network North East, TEL: 0191 202 3607; FAX: 0191 202 3599; EMAIL: eflrieda.waren@gnn.gsi.gov.uk